Royal Touch of Morocco Tour

9 Nights/11 Days
1 night in Casablanca, 2 nights in Fez, 1 night in Erfoud,
2 nights in Ouarzazate, and 3 nights in Marrakech

Tour departs every Saturday from New York

SATURDAY -
Depart on board Royal Air Maroc luxurious jumbo jet on a non-stop six-and-a-half-hour flight to Casablanca.

SUNDAY - CASABLANCA
Arrive at Casablanca Mohamed V Airport.

You will be met by a Ya’lla Tours USA representative and transferred to your hotel for morning check-in and time to rest after the flight.

In the afternoon, your guided sightseeing tour of Casablanca begins with a visit to the port, the old medina, and Place Mohamed V, a busy shopping street lined by residential blocks dating from the 1930s.

Next visit United Nations Square, designed by French architect Joseph Marrast, and the League of Arab States Park, which was built in 1925 and offers a large area of greenery with palm trees, arcades, pergolas and cafés with shady terraces.

Then visit the impressive and newly built Hassan II Mosque, the second largest mosque in the world.

Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight.

MONDAY - FEZ
After breakfast, drive one hour to Rabat.

Begin a morning sightseeing tour of this capital city of Morocco.

See the old Medina, the picturesque Kasbah of the Oudayas, and the Oudaya Gate, built during the Almohad dynasty.

Next visit the well-preserved Hassan Tower and the Chellah which were built by the Merinids in the 12th and 13th centuries.

Walk into the Mohamed V Mausoleum, the burial place of the present King’s father, in front of the Royal Palace.

Enjoy free time for lunch in Rabat.

Drive to the nearby private museum Dar Belghazi for a look at Moroccan crafts through the centuries.

In the afternoon, drive to Meknes, a city founded in the 9th century by Zenata Berbers.

A tour of this former Imperial City of Morocco includes the old ramparts and the Agoudal Basin which was used to water the royal gardens and amuse the favorite concubines.

Also visit the Moulay Ismaïl royal stables, granaries and House of Water (Dar El Ma), which were built in the 17th and 18th centuries to house, feed and water the sultan’s twelve-thousand horses.

See Bab el Mansour, one of the most beautiful gates in Morocco, and the Moulay Ismaïl Mausoleum, one of the very few holy sites in Morocco which may be visited by non-Muslims.

Drive to Fez for dinner and overnight.

TUESDAY - FEZ
A full day guided sightseeing tour of Fez, the religious capital of Morocco, includes the old and new medinas, and visits to the 14th century religious schools (medersas) of Bou Inania and Attarine. The impressive labyrinth of souks in Fez that have been declared by UNESCO to be one of the world’s cultural treasures.

The tour also allows photo stops at the imposing gate of Bab Boujloud, the splendid fountain at Place Nejjarine, the ancient ramparts, and the beautiful front entrance of the Royal Palace.

Your evening sound and light show uses historic narration, lighting in the old medina, and fountains of water to portray the history of Fez.

Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight.

WEDNESDAY - ERFOUD
Take a full day drive through the cedar forests and past the picturesque scenery of the Middle Atlas Mountains to Erfoud.

Stop at Ziz Gorge and Er Rachidia for a typical lunch en route.

Erfoud, one of the largest oases in Morocco, is situated amongst the impressive sand dunes of the Sahara Desert.

Take a special drive and a camel trek to watch a spectacular sunset from the dunes of the Sahara.

Arrive at your hotel for dinner and overnight.

THURSDAY - OUARZAZATE
In the morning, take a picturesque drive along the Route of 1000 Kasbahs.

Enjoy the scenery as you pass palm grove oases and kasbah dwellings in the Dades Valley.

Drive into the spectacular Gorges of Todra for a visit and stroll along the small stream.

Continue to the film industry center at Ouarzazate.

Dinner and overnight at Ouarzazate hotel.

FRIDAY - OUARZAZATE
Leave on a morning excursion to Zagora, the town used by the Saadians to conquer territory in the area.

Continue to Tamegroute for a look at the medersa’s impressive library, which contains 12th and 13th-
century korans and works on medicine, botany, and astronomy.

Return to Ouarzazate in the late afternoon for dinner and overnight.

SATURDAY - MARRAKECH
In the morning, drive to the ancient kasbah complex of Ait Ben Haddou, an impressive 11th- century structure, declared by UNESCO to be an historical treasure.

A photographer’s wonderland, Ait Ben Haddou is still home to five families.

Take an afternoon drive past scenic views of mountains and semi-desert terrain topped by kasbahs and adobe homes.

Continue up and over the High Atlas Mountains at Tizi N’Tichka Pass (6,600 feet). Cross the fertile countryside of the Haouz Plain to the pink city of Marrakech.

Have an early afternoon lunch at the hotel.

In the evening, transfer to the Fantasia dinner show.
This grand folklore show features tribesmen and women from different parts of the country.

Enjoy a Moroccan dinner served under the tents.

The highlight of the evening features a show of Arabian horses mounted by acrobats and cavaliers who perform rifle displays and demonstrate traditional forms of military combat.

Return to the hotel for overnight.

SUNDAY - MARRAKECH
A guided half-day historical sightseeing tour begins with Menara Gardens.

See the small Saadian pavilion mirrored in still water with the Atlas Mountains and olive groves in the background.

This pavilion was used by sultans for romantic interludes.

Next, enter the old medina, buried within the imperial walls, and stop at the foot of the famous Koutoubia Minaret, a masterpiece of Islamic architecture. Continue to the Kasbah (fortress), the 16th-century monument site of the Saadian Tombs.

Notice the wonderful Hispano-Mauresque architecture surrounding the burial grounds of the royal family.

Afterward, visit the aristocratic Bahia Palace with its lush Moorish-style courtyard garden and beautifully painted residential rooms.

Finally, stroll through the famous Jemaa El Fna Square, the ancient meeting point of the tradesmen in Northwest Africa.

Enjoy a three-course lunch at Douirya, a lovely lovely traditional house in the Mellah district, home of a wealthy Jewish family in the early 20th century.

Enjoy a free afternoon to relax by the pool, return to the souks for shopping, or visit the interesting Dar Si Said Museum (entrance fees and transportation not included).

Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight.

MONDAY - MARRAKECH
Have a full free day to enjoy the hotel amenities, hire a horse-drawn carriage or play 18 holes of golf at one of Marrakech’s three fabulous golf courses.

The special farewell dinner at a very elegant palace features an assortment of Moroccan dishes. Entertainment includes Gnaoui musicians playing the music of Guinea, which is the origin of today’s jazz music, an Andalucian orchestra, and/or a belly dancer.

Depart Morocco feeling as though you have stepped into 1001 Arabian Nights!

Return to the hotel for overnight.

TUESDAY -
You will be transferred to Marrakech Menara Airport for your flight to Casablanca.
Connect to Royal Air Maroc’s luxurious jumbo jet for a non-stop 6 hr. 50 min. flight to New York.